Welcome Ms. Mackinley

Ms. Mackinley became a teacher at Norwell because she graduated from Norwell High School. She liked the positive learning environment that NHS provided and was positively impacted by so many teachers at NHS, that are are still here, so she

wanted to be a part of this community, and hopefully do the same for her students! Currently, her favorite book is “I’ll Give You The Sun” by Jandy Nelson. This book switches perspectives between twins: one twin tells the story of their younger years, and the other talks about their lives as adults. The story is about how they grew apart, and eventually came back together. She loves the way it was written— it’s a story that really makes you feel for the characters. Some advice of hers is for students to be organized and plan ahead. This will save them from the stress of forgetting about an assignment and having to scramble at the last minute. Whether it be using an agenda or the calendar on your iPad, finding a means of organization that works for you will definitely aid in your success! Also, she hoped students will take time for themselves to relax and recharge as the school year comes with a lot of stress and pressure, so it’s so important to make time for things that bring you joy. Ms. MacKinlay hopes to inspire others to become teachers, so the best advice she has is for future teachers to not try to do it all. She makes a to-do list by levels of priority, which helps her focus on the things that need to get done rather than getting overwhelmed by a long to-do list. When it is summer break, she spends most of her time during breaks with her dogs, Finn and Izzy! Finn is a Golden Retriever and Izzy is an Australian Shepherd. They’re both pretty young, so they require a lot of time and attention. I love taking them to Peggotty beach in the morning, to Stodder's Neck in Hingham, and on hikes. They keep me really active! Finally, students will be surprised to know that she is an avid baker, spending a lot of her free time learning new recipes for cookies, pastries, etc. However, she is not the best cook.